Abstract

The fields of psychology and rhetoric share the goal of improving human mental health and behavior through persuasion. This thesis traces the history of rhetoric and psychology theory, focusing on the parallel theories of Nienkamp's internal rhetoric and Herman's dialogical self. Both theories model the human mind as having multiple psyches that actively interact to interpret human experience and project human behavior. I conclude with a case study of anorexic patients using ethos, pathos, and logos in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), arguing that principles of rhetoric can help patients with mental disorders cognitively realign their thinking more effectively than drug treatments can.

Degree

MA

College and Department

Humanities; English

Rights

http://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/

Date Submitted

2012-03-13

Document Type

Thesis

Handle

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/etd5095

Keywords

Anorexic Studies, Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Dialectic, Dialogical Self, Eating Disorders, Emotion Studies, History of Rhetoric, History of Psychology, Internal Rhetoric, Neuro-Rhetoric, Protagoras, Psychotherapy, Self-Persuasion, Talk Therapy

Language

English

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